“Paradoxes of American Individualism” by Claude S. Fischer changed my perspective on how I viewed the term American Individualism. Growing up I thought Americans have a unique sense of individualism that people from other countries don’t have. It first discusses how Americans believe that they have control over the outcomes of their careers and the outcome of their lives, more than other western thinking countries. That was how I initially expected it to be. However, the article goes on to show that Americans only believe in individualism in certain aspects of life. I was shocked to find out that Americans were less likely to defend individual ideas over the nation’s best interest. The article comes to teach us that American culture is less Individualism and more volunteerism. Unlike individualism, voluntarism incorporates group affiliation. In this view, individuals pursue their personal goals through voluntary association.
The two perspectives talked about in Langston Hughes and Walt Whitman’s poems are discussing the different ways to view American Society. “America” by Walt Whhitmans discusses American ideals. It talks about how America is the center of equality. Whitman says how America was built on the principles of freedom and equality for all (however that has not always been the case). Whitman’s view of America is very optimistic and has a strong sense of love for his country. Whitman is speaking for all the people who have benefited from American society. He leaves out all the people who have been oppressed by the American system and have been stuck at the bottom. “Let America be America Again” by Langston Hughes takes a very different approach to American society. Throughout the poem, Hughes put in parentheses that he has never experienced America for what it was meant to be. Hughes identifies with groups who have been oppressed and have not been allowed to experience the ideals of America, whether it be because the system has been set up for them to fail or they have not been given fair rights. The problem with the model of individualism discussed in Hughes Poem is that it starts to create a divide between Americans. If we view ourselves as only individuals we will never come together to live in a country of peace where everyone is equal. We have to gain a sense of community and look out for our fellow Americans and make sure that everyone is treated equally.
I agree with your analysis of Langston’s poem “ Let America be America Again”. Langston is an African American poet, and through this poem, it is obvious to the reader that as a POC he will never experience the “American Dream”. It is an illusion, and the promise to represent everyone equally and fairly is false. Like the other countries in the world, wealthy whites will always be superior, and unlike the message of the American Dream, the US has fallen into the same hole as those other countries. That the wealthy and higher class is always going to degrade and exploit the poor.
I agree with what you said about how you thought Americans always had a sense of individualism that other countries didn’t have. I also always thought that, and this article proved that isn’t exactly true. I was also extremely shocked while reading the article, and found it very hard to believe their claims even with all the facts they had to back it up.